Amazon Rainforest is Burning at an Unprecedented Rate

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said his government lacks the resources to fight the record number of fires in the Amazon. And he again suggested that non-governmental organizations had started fires in the rainforest, but admitted he had no evidence for this claim. From a report: He added that his government was investigating the fires. Earlier, Brazil's Environment Minister Ricardo Salles was heckled at a meeting on climate change. Conservationists have blamed Brazil's government for the Amazon's plight. They say Mr Bolsonaro has encouraged the clearing of land by loggers and farmers, thereby speeding up the deforestation of the rainforest. Satellite data published by the National Institute for Space research (Inpe) shows an increase of 85% this year in fires across Brazil, most of them in the Amazon region. The largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming. Answering questions from reporters on Thursday, Mr Bolsonaro said the government couldn't simply get the ministry of the interior to send 40 men to fight a fire. "Forty men to fight a fire' There aren't the resources. This chaos has arrived," he said.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Click here to read full news..